Cases of liver disease linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity have soared
A study has found the a type of liver disease has soared in the UK(Image: Getty Images)
TL;DR
- Cases of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) have risen five-fold in the UK in the past 10 years.
- MASLD is linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity, with risk factors including being overweight, inactive, having high blood pressure, or being over 50.
- Recorded diagnoses of MASLD increased from 0.02% of adults in 2003 to 2.4% in 2022.
- Individuals diagnosed with MASLD were three times more likely to have type 2 diabetes.
- People of South Asian ethnicity were overrepresented in MASLD diagnoses but least likely to have scores estimating liver scarring.
- A substantial diagnostic gap exists in the UK, with current prevalence rising but still below expected rates.
- Researchers suggest actively identifying and pursuing case-finding in at-risk groups to close the diagnostic gap.
- Blood tests that estimate liver scarring are proposed as an opportunity to detect advanced fibrosis.